Meg's Musings

The Harp Statue

In 1984, my husband and I found a sculpture which we thought would be perfect for the front yard of our new home. Named “The Harpist,” it was done by artist Jo Ubogy. We purchased it at a gallery, though we were not familiar with the artist. At that time, although I played a number of instruments, harp was not one of them. I never had in my mind to become a harpist, but I liked the sculpture.

People ask me “How did you come to play the harp?” My husband, who is a doctor, has diagnosed me as a Serial Stringed Instrument Player, because I play guitar, banjo and piano. Does this diagnosis explain my choice of harp? I don’t think so. I had never met a harpist. I didn’t listen to a lot of harp music. And yet, in 2000, I suddenly had a desire to play the harp.

When we moved from this house, we unfortunately had to put the statue in storage. I was able to locate the artist, and called her to talk about the piece. In our discussion, I mentioned that I had become a harpist many years after having bought her piece, and that the only reasonable explanation for my choosing to play the harp was a subconscious effect of walking by her sculpture day after day, year after year. There it sat, in my front yard, part of the landscape, and part of what I considered home. Was it sending me some kind of subliminal message? I will never know, but if it led me to become a harpist, I am grateful for the piece and the woman who created it.